Book Club: A Boy Called It

Autobiographical, A Boy Called It tells the first third of the life of Dave Plezer, survivor of the third worst documented case of child abuse in Californian history.

I'm not sure which disturbed me more - the stark portrayal of the systematic torture of this child at the hands of his mother (who has two other children who were not abused), the apathy of his father who allowed the abuse by doing nothing, that it is the third worst case documented therefore there are two worse cases reported, or the suspicion that there are far worse cases out there that go unreported.

I simply cannot believe this boy survived to tell the tale, let alone to grow into a seemingly well adjusted man with a son of his own.  The second two books of the trilogy must surely be a testament to 'breaking the cycle'.

A Boy Called It is a very quick read - I would never use the phrase 'easy read' though.  If you can stomach emotionally challenging material then I would highly recommend it.

Book Club: Nourishment by Gerard Woodward

Our book club is certainly not exclusively serious book talk.  Distinctly Jamie Oliver-style, each month we have a handful of wine, a good glug of food, several shakes of gossip and a few pinches of literature to taste.  And quantities vary month by month.

It's a great excuse to get together (and provides the boys their schedule for poker the same evening - although they claim poker sets the book club schedule... uh huh, sure).

I decided to share our book club evenings with you because I know many of you are book lovers in constant search for recommendations as well as foodies.  I don't claim to be a literary expert, so please don't expect pithy, intellectual and in-depth book reviews - I'll keep it simple, light and to the point.

Ironically, my first book club post (and our most recently reviewed book) seems very food-related.  Nourishment, by Gerard Woodward.

Quick Plot Summary (without giving anything away)
The quiet London-during-the-war life of Tory Pace is shattered when her POW husband demands a dirty letter by return of post.  Initially disgusted, Tory's sense of marital duty leads her on a journey to discover her inner language and 'loosen' her pen hand which takes her to unexpected and dangerous territory.

Nominated for the Booker Prize.

The Verdict
3 out of 5
Easy to read, hilarious early attempts at erotica, a little slow towards the end.


We choose our books in three-month slots so up-coming books are:

1. A Child Named It (Dave Pelzer)
2. Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
3. April Fool's Day (Bryce Courtenay)

Also recommended but not selected:

1. Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi)
2. The Secret Life of Marc Rich (Daniel Ammann)
3. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (Barbara Demick)

P.S. If you're not already buying your books from The Book Depository, you should consider it - free shipping world wide no matter how much you spend and often much cheaper than local prices.